The people of Opelousas, Louisiana, prepare for the annual Zydeco Festival, a celebration that has been a cornerstone of the community for over four decades. The Zydeco Festival, an event deeply ...

Even though she had Creole blood running through her veins, Lena Fontenot Charles was not well-versed in zydeco music. But all that changed roughly 30 years ago. In 1986, Charles became involved with ...

Before 1982, the words “zydeco” and “festival” were never used in the same sentence. The Creole accordion dance music had already migrated from the rural house dances of southwest Louisiana to clubs ...

In 2002, the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival was entering its second decade. More than 10,000 people had made a habit of attending the festival, held in a soybean field in the St.

Grammy winner Chubby Carrier, Lil Nate and the Zydeco Big Timers and Leroy Thomas are among the featured bands scheduled for the 36th annual Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival in ...